Dispensing device



Nov. 4, 1941. J, c;t ERICKSON Erm. 2,251,877

' DISPENSING DEVICE Y Filed May 15, 1940 `2 `sluae'cs-slum i z'j' a Aorneyv .1. G. ERICKSON E-rAL 2,261,877

DIsPENsING DEVICE Nov. 4, 1941.

Filed May 15, 1940 j zfsheets-sheet 2v Inv'entow A tomey Patented Nov.4, 1941 DISPENSING DEVICE John G. Erickson and Sidney Graham, Prescott,Ariz.

Application May 15, 1940, Serial No. 335,418

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements indispensing devices particularlyfortoothpaste, shaving cream, etc., incollapsible tubes or containers and has for its primary object toprovide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a device of thischaracter embodying novel means whereby substantially all of thematerial may be convenientlyejected from the collapsible tube orcontainer in a neat, sanitary manner.

Another very important object of the invention Vin use, compact, light'in weight, attractive inA appearance and which may b'e manufactured atlow cost.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of theinvention will become apparent from a study of the followingspecication, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings whereinlike characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of a dispensing device constructed inaccordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the device. Figure 3 is a top planview, showing the casing open.

Figure 4 is a view in vertical longitudinal section, taken substantiallyon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Figure 5 is av view in side elevation of thedevice, showing the cap inopen position.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the line 6 6of Fig. 4.

Figure 7 is a view in front elevation of the device.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, it will be seen-that theembodiment of the invention which has been illustrated comprises anelongated casing I of suitable metal, said casing being of the crosssectional shape shown to advantage in Fig. 6 of the drawings. Thelongitudinal edges of the casing I are provided with integral, inturnedflanges 2. The upper portion of the casing I has formed th'erein, at anintermediate point, a longitudinal slot 3 the purpose of which will bepresently set forth. It will be observed that the casing I is open atits bottom. 'I'he reference numeral 4 designates a closure of arcuatecross section for thebottom of the casing I, said closure being hingedlymounted on one side of said casing, as at 5. On the free end of theclosure 4.is a resilient latch 6 which is engageable with the casing Ifor releasably securing said closure in closed position thereon. It willbe noted that the -latch 6 extends the length of the closure. 4.

Mounted longitudinally in the casing I on opposite sides of the slot 3are spaced, parallel 1ining segments I of suitable metal. The liningsegments I extend to the front and rear ends 8 and 9, respectively, ofthe casing I. Mounted for reciprocation in the casing I,' betweenv thelining segments 1, is a manually operable rack bar I0.

An actuating knob or handle I I for the rack bar I0 is operable in theslot 3.

Mounted for longitudinal movement in the casing I is an ejector which isdesignated by the reference numeral I2. The ejector I2 includes asubstantially U-shaped frame I3 of suitable metal having mountedtransversely therein supporting pins or shafts I4 and I5. Referringagain to Fig. 6 of the drawings, it will be noted that the end portionsof the shafts I4 and I5 project beyond the sides of the frame I3 and`are engaged between the flanges 2 on the casing I and the adjacentlongitudinal edges of the lining segments 1. Thus, the ejector I2 issupported for longitudinal movement in the casing I.

The ejector I2 further includes a substantially bulbous tube squeezingroller I6 which is mounted on the shaft I5 in the frame I3. Mountedlongitudinally on top of the frame I3 is a rearwardly directed resilientpawl I'I which is operatively engaged with the rack bar I0 for actuationthereby. A thumb lever I8 is fixed on the free end -portion of the pawlvI1 for disengaging said pawl from the rack bar I0 when it is desired toretract the ejector I2. A notch or recess I9 (see Fig. 3) in the rearend portion of the frame I3 accommodatesthe thumb lever` I8.

The reference numeral 2Il designates a conventional collapsible tubemounted in the dispenser. said tube resting in the closure'4. Theforward end wall 8 and the corresponding lend wall 2| of the closure 4have formed therein complemental notches or recesses which, inconjunction with each other,` define a circular opening 22 whichaccommodates the neck 23 of the tube 20. Projecting forwardly from theclosure 4 are bearings 24 between which a cap 25- is journaled forswinging movement. Of course, the cap 25 is enthe foregoing. Briefly,

side flanges which 'are ga'geable with the neck 23 for closing thecollapsible tube 20. The pivot of the cap 25 hasfixed thereon a gear 26.The closure 4 is provided with a longitudinally extending guide 21.Slidable in the guide 21 is a metallic bar or strip 28 having rack teeth29 on'its forward end portion engaged with the gear 26 for opening andclosing the cap 25. A thumb piece or button 30 is provided on theforward portion of the bar 26 for actuating same.

It is thought that the operation of the device will be readily apparentfrom a consideration of with the rack bar I0 and the ejector I2 in fullyretracted position, the collapsible tube 2li is placed in the devicewith the neck 23 projecting through the opening 22. The rack bar 26 isIthen moved forwardly f or closing the cap 25 on the neck 23. Todispense the paste,

cream`or other material in the tube 20, the rack bar 26 is movedinwardly or rearwardly for swinging the cap 25 to open position, as seenin Fig. 5 of the drawings. Then, the rack bar I0 is moved forwardlythrough the medium of the handle or button II traveling in the slot 3.Thus, the ejector I2 is moved forwardly by reason of the fact that thepawl II is engaged with the rack bar I0. In this manner the collapsibletube 20 is squeezed between the roller I6 and the closure 4 for ejectingthe paste or cream. For the next stroke the rack bar I0 is retracted,during which operation the resilient pawl I1 rides over the teeth yofsaid rack bar. The rack bar I0 `is again moved forwardly for actuatingthe ejector I2. This operation Iis repeated until the collapsible tubeis substantially empty. vWhen a full tube is to be placed in the devicethe ejector I2 may be retracted by disengagingV the resilient'pawl I'Ifrom the rack bar I0 through the Vmedium of the thumb lever I8. As seenin Fig. 6 of the drawings, the rack bar I0 is slidably engaged betweenthe adjacent. marginal portions of the lining segments 'I and the casingI.

`It is believed that the many dispenser constructed in accordance withthe present invention will be readily although a preferred embodiment ofthe device is as illustrated and described, it is to be understood thatchanges in the details of construction and in the combination andarrangement of parts may of the invention as claimed.

provided with longitudinal' understood and ,I

be resortedto which will fall within the scope What is claimed is:

1. A dispensing device comprising a casing for the reception of acollapsible tube, a rack bar mounted for reciprocation in the casing,and an ejector slidably mounted in the casing, said ejector including asubstantially `U -shaped frame, a squeezing roller journaled in saidframe and engageable with the tube, a resilient pawl on the bightportion of the frame and engaged with the rack bar for connecting theejector thereto for actuation thereby in a step by step manner, and athumb lever fixed on the pawl for disengaging said pawl from the rackbar.

2. A dispensing device comprising a casing for the reception of acollapsible tube, inturned flanges on said casing, lining segmentsmounted in the casing and spaced from each other and from the iianges, amanually operable rack bar mounted for reciprocation in the casingbetween the lining segments, and an ejector mounted for operation in thecasing, said ejector including a frame,.shafts traversing said frame andhaving their end portions engaged between the lining segments and theflanges for supporting said frame, a squeezing roller on one oftheshafts engageable withthe tube, and a pawl mounted on the frame andengaged'with the rack bar for operatively connecting the ejectorthereto. for

.actuation thereby in a step by step fashion.

3. A dispensing device comprising an elongated casing, a cover hingedlymounted on said casing, the casing for the reception of a collapsibletube, spaced lining segments mounted longitudinally in the casing, amanually operable rack bar slidably mounted in the casing between theliningV segmentainturn'ed flanges on the casing spaced advantages of afrom the lining segments and parallel-therewith' andan ejector operablein the casing, said ejector .including a substantially U-shaped frame,shafts traversing said frame and having their end portions slidablyengaged between the lining segments and the flanges for supporting saidframe,

` a roller on one of said shafts engageable with-the tubev for squeezingsaidtube against the closure, a resilient pawl onthe frame engaged Lwiththe rack bar for connecting the ejector thereto for actuation thereby ina stenbyA step fashion, and x a thumb lever fixed on said vpawl fordisengaging4 same from the rack bar for retracting the ejector.

JOI-IN G. ERICKSON. SIDNEY GRAHAM.

